Our favorite albums of the first part of the year- Nr. 09

So here we are again. Nothing changes, it all stays the same, nothing ever happens. For the umpteenth time now, we put in our 2 cents of what has been doing it for us in the first half of this year music wise. Hopefully you can find something in there that you agree with, which you overlooked at first, or which you maybe never even heard of. So much great music out there, this is our little grab out of that hat, enjoy!

09. Linda

Artist: The Shins 

Album: Port of Morrow 

Label: Sony

So this album isn't as good Wincing the Night Away, so what? It's still the same rather amazing band, with some added Broken Bells influence and some pretty memorable tracks. It lacks a bit in the immediacy Wincing had, but makes up for that in part by being more accessible and pop, which probably not everyone is going to like, but hey, I liked Broken Bells, and I like this album. Some tracks (e.g. It's Only Life) are tad too similar to aforementioned side project, but overall it's pretty neat. 

09. Stef

Artist: Sare Havlicek

Album: Escape Machine

Label: Nang Records

A lovely little disco album this. I’m not sure if there are real stand-outs on there, but it flows in a lovely, lovely manner. All of them have got that same feel, all of them are catchy, and they sure fit on one and the same album. Sure, there are some differences. ‘Burning Hot’, for instance, is more for the dancefloor, with those deep male vocals saying that he feels hot for you, and then the female vocals come in for the actual singing (which is a classic house division). Just one track prior to that one though, ‘Not Enough’ starts with a little piano before the beat comes in, and it is a slower paced affair. I love those vocals, which luckily return for ‘Too Far Ahead’. There, Mitja can strut his stuff on a song slightly faster paced, with a nice strip down and then punch back with the keys around the two minute mark.

It has got this cohesive feel though, despite these differences, and despite different vocalists. So often, it is the other way around: the more vocalists and the more variety, the more it feels disjointed. Not with this one. Its a great block of songs, not boring because of the diversity, but it does feel like an album. An album with plenty of lovely disco vibed songs on there.